Double strike in Germany: On Monday, the GDL and Verdi unions announced strikes for rail and air traffic. These would take place at almost the same time this week. Travel stress for thousands of people is therefore unavoidable. The work stoppages will probably also be felt in Austria.
Freight transport by rail will cease from Wednesday 6 p.m. to Friday 5 a.m.
Passenger traffic will then follow from 2 a.m. on Thursday and should last 35 hours, until Friday at 1 p.m.
Lufthansa’s ground crew will be on strike from Thursday
Shortly before, Verdi had called for warning strikes at Lufthansa. All ground staff must stop work on Thursday and Friday. The strike starts at 4 a.m. on Thursday and ends at 7:10 a.m. on Saturday. This will also lead to significant restrictions in air traffic. Different times apply for freight and technology, sometimes as early as Wednesday evening. Lufthansa spoke of 59 hours, which amounted to 145 hours of warning strike in the previous rounds.
Rate conflict
After the failure of collective negotiations between Deutsche Bahn and train operator GDL, their boss Claus Weselsky announced a new strike on Monday. It is the fifth labor dispute in the collective labor agreement negotiation dispute that has been dragging on for months.
The union broke off the last round of negotiations on Thursday after about four weeks. “This strike will last a total of 35 hours. “35 hours, so that everyone in the Republic realizes what we are all about: the 35-hour working week,” Weselsky said.
Weselsky also announced the next “golf strikes,” which the GDL does not want to announce 48 hours in advance. Weselsky: “We announce the strikes when we think it is necessary. This means that rail is no longer a reliable means of transport.”
GDL and Bahn have been fighting for a new collective labor agreement for months. At the heart of the matter is the union’s demand for a reduction in weekly working hours from 38 to 35 hours for shift workers without financial losses.
Lufthansa: 200,000 passengers affected
As far as Lufthansa is concerned, as many flights as possible must be grounded again on Thursday and Friday to increase the pressure on the Lufthansa Group. According to Lufthansa, around 200,000 passengers are likely to be affected.
‘There are many more strikes than negotiations’
HR director Michael Niggemann accused Verdi of deliberately seeking escalation: “There are many more strikes than negotiations.” With an uncompromising attitude, the union is damaging the company, hundreds of thousands of customers and employees. “Unlike many other areas where Verdi is on strike, our customers have alternative choices due to international competition.” The union leadership ignores this.
At the same time, collective bargaining is also underway for the approximately 25,000 employees of private aviation security companies at the larger German airports. It is not excluded that these colleagues will join the Lufthansa team, a spokesperson said when asked.
In the previous waves of strikes by passenger-related ground staff, each lasting just over a day, Lufthansa canceled between 80 and 90 percent of the program, causing hundreds of flights to be canceled, especially at its Frankfurt and Munich hubs. If aviation security people go on strike, there is a risk that the airports will be completely closed to passengers as no one can be checked before entry.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
